'Show of force a desperate act by Taliban,' an interview with renowned Pakistani historian Ayesha Jalal
Renowned Pakistani historian Ayesha Jalal has chronicled the spread of jihad in South Asia over three centuries. Jalal, a professor of history at Tufts University and author of Partisans of Allah: Jihad in South Asia, spoke to TOI Crest about Pakistan's war on Taliban.
Is Pakistan losing its war on the Taliban given the string of recent attacks on targets such as the heavily guarded army headquarters in Rawalpindi?
I would not say Pakistan is 'losing' the war against the Taliban. What these attacks underline is the continuing threat presented by the Taliban and the inadequacies of security arrangements in place to counter them. But then suicide attacks are difficult to counter. The upsurge in the attacks is meant as a warning against the military operation in North and South Waziristan, which is now underway. So, at one level, these are desperate acts by the Taliban to underscore their ability to strike Pakistan's security forces. To conclude from this that the Taliban are winning the war militarily is a leap of faith.
What about the success claimed by Pakistan in its Swat operations?
There has been some 'success' but the war against the militants continues . There are no simple switch-on and switch-off methods to deal with the complex problem, whether in Swat, Malakand or Waziristan.
What's the way out for Pakistan from the mess it finds itself in?
It will have to fight the militants and establish the writ of the state at all costs before turning to building infrastructure in these troubled areas of the northwest, so that the hapless people affected by decades of militancy and the recent horrific violence can have relative peace and prosperity. All of this, needless to say, is easier said than done. After years of dithering, most Pakistanis now realize that they cannot afford to give any more ground to the militants...
Read entire article at Times of India
Is Pakistan losing its war on the Taliban given the string of recent attacks on targets such as the heavily guarded army headquarters in Rawalpindi?
I would not say Pakistan is 'losing' the war against the Taliban. What these attacks underline is the continuing threat presented by the Taliban and the inadequacies of security arrangements in place to counter them. But then suicide attacks are difficult to counter. The upsurge in the attacks is meant as a warning against the military operation in North and South Waziristan, which is now underway. So, at one level, these are desperate acts by the Taliban to underscore their ability to strike Pakistan's security forces. To conclude from this that the Taliban are winning the war militarily is a leap of faith.
What about the success claimed by Pakistan in its Swat operations?
There has been some 'success' but the war against the militants continues . There are no simple switch-on and switch-off methods to deal with the complex problem, whether in Swat, Malakand or Waziristan.
What's the way out for Pakistan from the mess it finds itself in?
It will have to fight the militants and establish the writ of the state at all costs before turning to building infrastructure in these troubled areas of the northwest, so that the hapless people affected by decades of militancy and the recent horrific violence can have relative peace and prosperity. All of this, needless to say, is easier said than done. After years of dithering, most Pakistanis now realize that they cannot afford to give any more ground to the militants...